Branchport is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in Yates County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. It is a "

crossroads community In Colonial American history, a crossroads village is a settlement that was situated where two or more roads would intersect. The owners of farmland along a frequently traveled trail, path, or road, often paralleling a water route, would plan a ...

" which contains about 85 dwellings, six stores, two churches, a library and a firehouse. The name "Branchport" comes from its location at the north end of the west branch of the Y shaped

Keuka Lake Keuka Lake ( ) is one of the major Finger Lakes in the U.S. state of New York. It is unusual because it is Y-shaped, in contrast to the long and narrow shape of the other Finger Lakes. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Crook ...

. Keuka is one of the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

, a series of long slender lakes located in Western Central New York State.

History

Branchport lies within the Beddoe Tract of the

Phelps and Gorham Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of of land in what is now western New York State from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $1,000,000 ( £300,000), to be paid in three annual installments, and the pre-emptive right to th ...

. The area immediately north of Branchport was first settled ''circa'' 1791 by followers of the

Public Universal Friend The Public Universal FriendOriginal spelling: ''the Publick Universal Friend''. Shortened forms: ''the Universal Friend'', ''the Friend'', or ''P.U.F.'' (born Jemima Wilkinson; November 29, 1752 – July 1, 1819) was an American preacher born ...

, a charismatic American evangelist, who called the area "The New Jerusalem". In 1831, the first store was built at the crossroads, and the community of Branchport (Originally called Esperanza, meaning "hope") grew around this store. In 1867, Branchport became an incorporated

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

, but has since dissolved the village government, relinquishing its incorporated status. Branchport became an important port for steamboats which plied the waters of Keuka Lake carrying both passengers and produce from 1835 to 1922. It was also the western terminus of the

Penn Yan Penn Yan is an incorporated village and the county seat of Yates County, New York, United States. The population was 5,159 at the 2010 census. It lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. Penn Yan, New York ...

, Keuka Park and Branchport

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

, an 8½ mile electric trolley which provided passenger and freight car service from 1913 to 1928. The line connected with the Northern Central Railroad at Penn Yan. In the past, Branchport was the seat of small industry including a basket factory, foundry, spoke factory,

planing mill A planing mill is a facility that takes cut and seasoned boards from a sawmill and turns them into finished dimensional lumber. Machines used in the mill include the planer and matcher, the molding machines, and varieties of saws. In the planing mil ...

, and harness shop. As transportation became more available and industry became concentrated in larger towns, Branchport became largely a residential community, but continues to serve an area of summer lake residents and tourists, as well as farmers who are mainly involved in the growing of grapes.

Area points of interest

Keuka College Keuka College is a private college in Keuka Park, New York. Founded in 1890, the college emphasizes experiential learning as well as career and pre-professional education. It is classified among "Master's Colleges and Universities (small)" and ...

— three miles east of Branchport. An independent, four-year, residential, coeducational college. * Keuka Lake State Park — one mile east of Branchport. A full feature park, offering swimming, picnic tables with pavilions, a playground, hiking, hunting and fishing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, a boat launch and a campground with tent and trailer sites. *The Keuka Lake Winery Tour — a self conducted tour of Keuka Lake area wineries goes through Branchport.

Hunt Country Vineyards Hunt Country Vineyards is a vineyard and winery located near Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes AVA region of New York State, US. History Hunt Country Vineyards was founded in 1981 by Arthur C. Hunt and Joyce H. Hunt. The property was first purchas ...

is a stop along the tour. *Stone Schoolhouse — built in 1868 as a two-room school for the Branchport area. It now houses the offices of the town of Jerusalem and contains historical displays and records which are open to the public. *Verdi Burtch Bird Refuge — at the Eastern edge of Branchport along Sugar Creek. A marshland with an observation platform overlooking the marsh and Keuka Lake. Also available is a public fishing area and a boat launch. *The

Larzelere Tavern Larzelere Tavern is a historic inn and tavern located two miles north of Branchport in Yates County, New York. It is a large, 2-story, three-bay-wide, four-bay-deep, rectangular gable-roofed main block with a -story, gable-roofed side wing. Al ...

Solomon Weaver House Solomon Weaver House is a historic home located at Jerusalem in Yates County, New York. It is an Italianate style dwelling built about 1844.''See also:'' It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of ...

Myron Weaver House Myron Weaver House is a historic home located at Branchport in Yates County, New York. It is an Italianate style structure.''See also:'' It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places ( ...

, and Dr. James Wrightman House are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

References

Notes

*Stafford C. Cleveland (1873) "History of Yates County, New York" *Lewis Cass Aldrich (1892) "History of Yates County N.Y." *Miles A. Davis, (1912) "History of Jerusalem" *William Reed Gordan (1967) "Keuka Lake Memories" {{Authority control Hamlets in New York (state) Hamlets in Yates County, New York